Can righting mechanism



May 20, 1941. F. c., MARX 2,242,532

CAN RIGHTING MECHANISM I Original Filed Aug. 11, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INV m \ITOR.

l'z'ea fei'iaii C. Marx.

May 20,1941. F, c, MM'QX 2,242,532

CAN RIGHTING MECHANISM INVENTOR.

fr ezleri cl? 6. Marx.

BY I ,1

woman? Patented May 20, 1941 CAN RIGHTING MECHANISM Frederick C. Marx,Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Heekin Can Company, Norwood, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Original application August 11, 1938, Serial No.

224,315. Divide-d and this application September 11, 1939, Serial No.294,311

3 Claims.

The present application is a division of my copending application SerialNo. 224,315, filed August 11, 1938. That application relates to meansfor receiving a large number of unarranged objects, such as cans, andfor arranging the objects into single line formation in readiness forsubsequent operations upon them.

The present phase of the general invention relating to can handlingapparatus has to do with disposing the single lines of cans, as arrangedby the means just described, in a vertical position since the cans,though placed in single line arrangement by the preceding equipment,might yet be disposed on their sides as well as on their ends.

The present invention, therefore, has to do with receiving the movingsingle lines of cans and, while continuing their movement, disposingthem upright for still further operations of stacking, labelling or thelike.

Briefly, the present apparatus comprises a guideway, means for carryingthe single line of cans through the guideway, a means for disposing allof the cans on their sides, and a vertical chute section for receivingthe cans and depositing all of them on a further transfer medium,additional means being provided in connection with the chute forprecluding the overturnin of the cans by reason of their being depositedon a rather swiftly moving carrier.

The invention therefore has to do with the provision of means forachieving the objectives named with smoothness and efficiency and with aminimum of equipment.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away, showing the guideway andchute portions of the present invention associated with the adjacentcooperating parts of the preceding carrier mechanism, the latterbeing'shown fragmentarily.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the means seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view, with parts broken away, showing themeans for precluding overturning of the cans after they have beendeposited vertically upon the final carrier.

Fig. 5 is a View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In greater detail and with reference to the drawings:

Two of the guideways are shown in the accompanying drawings but it isobvious that one only could be employed or that more than two could beused, if so desired. As here shown, the guideways are associated with alarge carrier belt I (Fig. 1) moving in the direction of the downwardlypointing arrow seenat the center of the top of Fig. 1, said carrier beltbeing supported upon and moved by suitable roller means 2 (Fig. 2) whichin turn are mounted on a suitable framework indicated at 3.

The guideways particularly concerned in the present disclosure aredisposed one at each side of the carrier belt I and are adapted each toreceive a single line of cans from the carrier belt I. The carrier belt,for this purpose, has associated with it other structure notspecifically concerned herein but for the purpose of clarity it may bepointed out that a pair of horizontal belts, indicated at 4 and 5 (Fig.1), cooperate with the carrier belt I in moving each line of cans intothe guideways now to be described.

Each guideway may comprise a pair of side rails 6 and I (Figs. 1, 2 and3) supported by a suitable frame 8. The inner ends of the rails I, asseen at the upper right and lefthand corners of Fig. 1, may be curvedinwardly, as at 9, to form entranceways for the oncoming lines of cans,one of which is indicated at II] in Fig. 1. The cans pass from the beltI on to a cable II moving in the same direction as the large belt I andsupported upon suitable guidewheels or pulleys I2. The cable I I, asseen especially in Fig. 2, may be conveniently operated from the roller2 upon which the belt I runs. For this purpose, the ends of the roller 2may be grooved for receiving the cable I I. The latter may be carriedover additional pulleys I1 and I8, the former being associated with adownwardly curved portion I6 of the chute. After being carried inreverse over the pulley I8, the cable I I may proceed forwardly over asmaller wheel I9 and then, in its lower reach, rearwardly over the wheel20, whence the cable is carried to the roller 2.

On either side of the upper reach of the cable II a pair of supportstrips I3 (Figs. 1 and 3) preferably L-shaped in cross-section, isprovided. It will be seen in Fig. 3 that the cans, such as the one I4 inFig. 3, are supported by the cable II and the horizontal flanges I5 ofthe said support strips I3.

The foregoing structure constitutes the guide- 1 ways which projecthorizontally for some distance and then, as at I6 (Fig. 2), curvedownwardly and assume a vertical formation which will be referred to asthe chute.

The chute is completed by a shield or cover member 2! which extends overthe curved portion I6 of the chute and which terminates, as seen at 22(Fig. 2), above the bottom of the chute.

When the cans descend the chute, as indicated at 23 (Fig. 2), they arereceived, as indicated at 24, upon the reach 25 of the cable II which ismoving in the direction of the arrow. The normal result of depositingcans upon a moving cable would be to overturn the cans especially Wherethe cable or carrier is moving at considerable speed in one direction.Under these circumstances, the bottom of a can, deposited upright on thecarrier, is jerked forward and the can topples backwardly and lies uponits side whence it might easily roll off the carrier. To avoid this,there is provided a latch 26 (Figs. 2 and 4) which may be pivotallyattached, as at 21, to the lower end of the shield 2|. The latch mayhave a spring 28 associated therewith (as seen in Figs. 4 and 5) forresiliently urging the lower end of the latch into the chute. Thespring, as indicated, may have one end bearing against the latch 26 andthe other end secured, as at 29, to the adjacent portion of the frame 8.

The lower end 30 of the latch 26 is disposed above the bottom of thechute, that is, above the cable reach 25, a distance slightly greaterthan the height of a can. As the can proceeds down the chute, it pressesoutwardly the latch 26, but

as the can reaches the bottom the latch snaps inwardly and contacts thetop of the can, at the forward edge thereof (Fig. 2), should the canbegin to topple, to prevent overturning of the can by the movingcarrier.

Thereafter, the cans are carried out as far as the pulley or wheel I9(Fig. 2) where they are removed for subsequent operations.

It will be noted that all the cans must enter the chute lying on theirsides. For assuring this position, a bumper 3| (Figs. 2 and 3) isdisposed transversely of the side rails 6 and 1 a short distance inadvance of the chute entry for placing upright cans on their sides, asindicated at 32.

The apparatus disclosed assures the delivery of every can of the line ina proper upright position whereby uninterrupted and eflicient operationof the whole can handling apparatus is assured.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a constantly moving carrier, a chute above thecarrier for delivering cans or similar articles thereto in an endwiseposition, and a yieldable member projecting inwardly of the chuteadjacent the bottom thereof, said member being adapted to yield uponcontact thereof by the individual articles to provide for passage of thearticles onto the carrier and to return inwvardly after each contactinto a position immediately above the delivered article to precludetoppling or displacement thereof by the carrier.

2. In a device for handling cans or the like, the combination of ahorizontal carrier moving in one direction, a chute discharging the cansendwise onto the carrier, and a yieldable latch member positionedadjacent the bottom of the chute and projecting into the path ofdescending cans at a distance above the carrier slightly greater thanthe height of the individual cans, said latch yielding outwardly uponcontact by each can to provide for downward passage thereof to thecarrier and moving inwardly immediately subsequent to such passage to aposition immediately above the can to preclude toppling of the latter bythe moving carrier as the can is delivered thereto.

3. In a. device for handling cans or the like, the combination of ahorizontal carrier moving in one direction, a chute discharging cansendwise onto the carrier, and means adjacent the bottom of the chute forcontacting the forward top edge of cans as delivered from the chute topreclude toppling of the cans by the moving carrier.

FREDERICK C. MARX.

